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Games postponed in wake of terror

Games postponed in wake of terror

NEW YORK -- No Major League Baseball games were played Tuesday night in the wake of terrorist attacks on New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

"In the interest of security and out of a sense of deep mourning for the national tragedy that has occurred today, all Major League Baseball games for today have been canceled," said Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "I will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis and make ongoing decisions accordingly. "

"My deepest sympathy and prayers go out to the families and victims of this horrendous series of events."

A meeting of Baseball's owners scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday was also canceled.

Terrorists hijacked two airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center in a coordinated series of attacks Tuesday morning that brought down the twin 110-story towers. An aircraft also crashed at the Pentagon.

Authorities had been trying to evacuate those who work in the twin towers, but many were thought to have been trapped. About 50,000 people work at the Trade Center. American Airlines said its two aircraft were carrying a total of 156 people.

"I have a sense it's a horrendous number of lives lost," Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said. "Right now we have to focus on saving as many lives as possible."

Tuesday's tragedy temporarily put on hold pennant races in both leagues as well as Barry Bonds' pursuit of the home run record. A full schedule of 15 games was canceled. It has not been determined if the games will be made up.

Bonds and the San Francisco Giants were scheduled to play the Houston
Astros in a 7:05 p.m. game at Enron Field but that game, along with seven
other National League and seven American League contests, were also canceled.

The canceled NL games included the New York Mets at Pittsburgh, Montreal
at Florida, Philadelphia at Atlanta, San Francisco at Houston, Cincinnati at
the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis at Milwaukee, Colorado at Arizona and Los Angeles
at San Diego.

In the AL the schedule of Minnesota at Detroit, Toronto at Baltimore,
Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees, Boston at Tampa Bay, Cleveland at
Kansas City, Texas at Oakland and Seattle at Anaheim was canceled.

The Yankees said Wednesday night's game against the
White Sox had been called off and they were not certain
about the status of Thursday's series finale. The White Sox planned
to take a bus to Cleveland on Wednesday.

"We're leaving," Manager Jerry Manuel said.

Sandy Alderson, Baseball's Executive Vice President of
Operations, said a decision on Wednesday's game would be made early
in the day.

The Mets, who were staying in a hotel across the street
from the William S. Moorhead Federal Building in Pittsburgh, moved
to the suburbs after their general manager consulted with
baseball's security chief.

At Qualcomm Stadium, a news radio station was playing over the clubhouse
speakers.

"For a lot of people my age, we've only read about history, and
haven't really felt the impact of terror that we're dealing with,"
Padres reliever Trevor Hoffman said.

"Generations before us have been through some world wars, and
not that we haven't been through the Gulf War and some other
issues, but to have something happen on our own soil, is a bit
frustrating, it's angering, it's scary," he said. "A lot of
emotions that I don't think a lot of people have ever dealt with."

The last time a disaster halted Major League Baseball play came in 1989,
when a devastating earthquake interrupted the World Series.

The first San Francisco Bay Area World Series saw Oakland up, 2-0, over San Francisco when the series shifted across the Bay to the Giants'
home field for Game 3 on Oct. 17, 1989.

Just as fans were arriving at Candlestick Park for the start of the game,
the massive earthquake hit the area, knocking out power to the park and
killing 67 people in different sections of the city. The fans were sent home
and the series was not resumed until 10 days later.

The Associated Press contributed to this story This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.